Year 5/6Kia Ora! Welcome to Room 4. We are a room full of gorgeouly clever 9, 10 and 11 year olds in beautiful New Zealand Aotearoa. We love learning new things and always have lots of questions. The world is our oyster!!

What is going on! Where did all that time go - I can't believe it is almost the end of August, and spring is nearly upon us, although I am very glad because I am sick of the cold! One week we are having snow and then the next it is all warm and lovely!!

This week we had a visit to Mokoia Intermediate - and now everyone is so keen to be leaving me We also helped our buddies with making their clay giraffes this week, which went really well. Our big buddies work so nicely with their little buddies - there was lots of cooperating and talking about the giraffe's features, and we all learnt what happens when you add too much water to clay (didn't we Tom :-)

Keep adding to your blog and check the homework blog page - keep adding up those minutes of reading because we will be collating and graphing them NEXT WEEK to find out which group (girls or boys) have been the most avid readers so far this term!!!!!

WOW! Camp was amazing! I am still feeling exhausted from all the activities we did but boy, was it worth every minute!! Thank you to all of Room 1 and 4, including the parents, who made camp such a raving success despite (or because of) the terrible weather. There are so many highlights for me that I don't know where to begin..... Mostly I just really enjoyed getting out and having some fun with you all that did not involve writing and reading I learnt so much about each of you - and it was lovely to see your sense of humours shining through in such dreary conditions. Thank you everyone. I am just sad that now there is no camp at the end but I am working on an overnight together before the end of the year!!

Cycle Safety has been and gone! And what a week it has been. We learnt some fantastic skills with Mark and Craig, such as scooting, weaving, braking, stoppee's and most of all - control! That's what it's all about. Congratulations to David, who won the weeks prize from the cycle safety team. He was proudly seen wearing it after school while riding his bike. I even went home and had a try at some of the skills on my bike - can't say I was very good at the 'stoppee'! Cycle Safety was also perfect training for camp with 2 out of 4 days being wet and cold, so I hope you have all got your winter woollies, gloves and hats, ready for next week!!

Our new buddy class is so cute! They are all new entrants and have turned 5 recently. Some have only been at school 3 days so far. It was great meeting them and learning their names. Room 4 are all excited to share their learning with them this year and will hopefully be able to help them with their reading and maths. We will be able to show them what caring and responsible seniors we are!

Ahoy there, me hearties!! What a great day this turned out to be. Beautiful weather, great company and so many misfit looking pirates - WICKED! Room 04, you all did a sterling effort on the day, and I was so impressed by the encouragement I saw for one another, and the determined focus I witnessed around the course. Well done to Anjan, for the big finish he put in. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts about the day on your own blog now that they are up and running. Reminder: get someone at home to take a look at your thoughts too, and add a comment to your blog.

Welcome to our new class for 2011 who will be hanging out in Room 4 with me for the year. It was great meeting families at Meet the Teacher. It is only Week 3 and things are shaping up to be very busy! Remember to keep up with your homework reading each night. Even newspaper articles, blogs and websites count. If you enjoy reading novels, find a quiet space and enjoy a few chapters! We will be getting in to camp fundraising very soon, so keep your eyes and ears posted for things you need to remember to do for this.

We are in the last leg of 2010, and what a busy time it is shaping up to be. We have baking and making, character masks to finish, personal inquiries to follow, narrative slideshows to add sound to, plays to perform, junior production to see, and an iceblock day to be able to support less fortunate families at christmas. I have added the link to the Oxfam website so that you can all take a look at the kind of things we can support with your generosity. This year's class are such a kind and compassionate bunch... I think our future is in great hands! Take a look and come to school with an idea of what you think would be the most valuable gift to give - remember to think about why..

Over the last 2 days, it has been a great experience to be involved in the PPP's for your children. They have worked so hard getting prepared and really did themselves proud! It was also great to see all you parents again.